Eleven Magazine - Journey Issue 2012 by Faizah Omar

ISSUE No. 4 | Oct – Dec 2012

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EDITOR’S NOTE Assalaamu’alaikum Wr. Wb. Praises to Allah (swt), the Lord of the universe, for all His blessings and for making this publication possible. One journey may be smooth sailing, while another may not be a bed of roses. Nevertheless, a journey does not amount to nothing; time is never wasted. Each journey embarked on invites opportunities for change as our unique experiences open new windows of perspectives with the new lenses that we choose to put on. The onus is on us to introspect and realise how priceless each voyage is as it moulds us into the person we are today, Insya Allah with added value compared to when we first begun. As Muslims, we are entrusted with the amanah to be Khulafa’ of Allah (swt) and this is our ultimate journey in this Dunya. It is only possible when one is empowered with knowledge, very aptly illustrated by the first ayatullah that was revealed to our Messenger of Allah (saw) – Iqra’ - Read. But, knowledge is only beneficial when translated into actions. Thus, Eleven hopes to serve not simply as a publication but as a constant reminder of the need for knowledge and subsequent actions. With the array of articles and experiences shared in this edition on journey, I implore you my beloved readers, to reflect on your journey called life and think about the little changes you want to start with that will slowly but surely, make a difference to yourself, your family, your community and ultimately your Ummah. It is hoped that this easy read is the first step to inspire and revive the Islamic spirit in you to start embarking on your voyage to making a difference Insya Allah. To my beloved Eleven team and contributors, thank you for being part of this valuable and memorable journey with me. May Allah (swt) bless all of you with His best rewards. Wassalaamu’alaikum Wr. Wb. - Nur Ashikin Kamaruddin

PRESIDENT’S NOTE Assalaamu’alaikum Wr. Wb. All Praises are due to Allah (swt) for allowing NTUMS to be actively involved on campus and as well as the opportunity to publish the fourth issue of Eleven Magazine. Since its first publication in 2009, Eleven Magazine has gradually pushed its limits further and explored different means to reach out to the masses with consistent success. Eleven Magazine represents an avenue for the Muslim community in NTU/ NIE and also beyond it, to express their thoughts on relevant and relatable topics. However, let us be reminded that the various articles simply provide perspectives and personal insights of our peers and are not to be taken as a source of reference for rulings, for we are definitely limited in our knowledge and expertise. Rather, through Eleven we hope to engage the reader’s intellect as well as to renew our vigour in each of our personal journeys towards attaining Allah’s Pleasure. This issue is aptly themed Journey to emphasise its importance in the life of a Muslim; that our ultimate aim is to strive to be a better Muslim than before and thus highlights our individual struggles - our own journey towards self-betterment. To the Eleven Team, I express my sincerest gratitude and pray that Allah (swt) rewards you for your efforts. May He make us firm upon the path of righteousness in all our endeavours. Wassalaamu’alaikum Wr. Wb. - Mohammed Ariff Bin Mohtar

Issue 4 | Oct-Dec 2012

CONTENTS FEATURE 02 Heart for Ummah by Hafifah Afif 06 Conquering Everest

by Nina Salina Bte Suandi

09 Da’wah to Prisoners

EDITORIAL TEAM Muhd Yazid Ramli chairman Nur Ashikin Kamaruddin chief editor Nina Salina Bte Suandi editor Azimah Muhamad editor Aidil Suffian editor Nur Faizah Omar marketing director Mohd Taufiq Zalizan business director Shafiqah Hadam asst business director

by Fazliah Abdul Latiff

COMMENTARY 12 Don’t Take Piety for Granted by Mazhyn Azamat Omenuly 14 Polygamy

by Farina Fauzi

16 Embracing Motherhood

by Nabila Hanim

18 10487KM by Nadiah Hashim

DESIGN TEAM

ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE

Nur Faizah Omar head designer Ridwan Madon designer, head of print media Nurul Wahidah Mohd Tambee designer Remy Mahzam webmaster, head of interactive

20 A Lesson From Hijrah by Ihsan Hakim 23 Reviving Golden Age of Islam

SPECIAL SHOUT-OUTS

Mohd Danial Arsad, Nashita Kamir, Nurul Fitrah Rashid, MVAC (www.facebook.com/themvac), KUNN (www.facebook.com/meetkunn); Special thanks to all contributors of ELEVEN, and everyone who has made this publication possible Jazaakumullah khair

by AbdusSalam

26 Shaping Your Shahadah by Syed Bashiir bin Syed Abdul Kadir

LIFESTYLE 28 Courage to Leave the Wrong Path

by Sarah Safura

30 One Step Closer by Nasloon

ra : acronym for Radiallahu Anhu. It means “May Allah be pleased with him/her”. This phrase is used for the blessed Companions. swt : An abbreviation for the Arabic words “Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala” or “Glory to Him, the Exalted.” These are words to glorify God when mentioning His name. saw : An abbreviation for the salutations Sallahu alayhi wasallam which means “May Allah honour him and grant him peace” specifically for our last prophet, Prophet Muhammad saw. Insya Allah : God willing. Subhanallah : Glory be to Allah. Masya Allah : Indication appreciation for an aforementioned individual or event. du’a : An act of supplication.

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Having A

STOP BEING INDIFFERENT

Ummah

Photo credit: Zahidah Gaffar

text by hafifah afif

Heart For Our

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What are the reasons for this apathy?

"They ask you (O Muhammad) what they should spend in charity. Say: Whatever you spend with a good heart, give it to parents, relatives, orphans, the helpless and travellers in need. Whatever good you do, Allah is aware of it" (Al-Baqarah 2:215)

his is one of the questions posed by the Sahabahs (companions) to our beloved Prophet (saw) that was mentioned in the Qur'an. Apart from explaining rulings on charitable spending, it is also a reminder that these questions were indeed immortalised in the Qur'an, highlighting the serious issues that matter to the hearts of the Sahabahs, and issues that will matter till the end of time. In this instance, they expressed their genuine concern for social justice and in doing good to help others. As global citizens, we are probably aware of the many issues that are plaguing our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters in other parts of the world – from the occupation of Palestine and the uprisings in Syria and Bahrain to the niqaab ban in France and the senseless surveillance on Muslims by the FBI and the NYPD in America. How do we feel, as we flick through the newspaper, browse the Internet or go through our Twitterfeeds, when we read of these calamities and injustices happening far away from the comforts of our homes? Apathy is the indifference towards, disinterest in and lack of concern for things that others may find moving or exciting. This idea does not reflect the characteristics of the Sahabahs as portrayed in the above verse. Our beloved Prophet (saw) said "The believers, in their mutual love, mercy and compassion, are like one body; if one organ complained, the rest of the body develops a fever". [Bukhari & Muslim]

As an ummah (community), when we hear of the calamities and injustices our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters elsewhere are facing, we should feel their pain as much as it is ours.

Among the possible reasons why apathy is commonplace amongst us is our lack of awareness, familiarity and information on the struggles and challenges that our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world are faced with. News about these did not reach us, and this may be caused by two reasons – the source of the news hindering the information from reaching the masses in its full unadulterated truth, as well as our own individual inability or refusal to get ourselves informed about and being conscious of these issues.

According to Robert W. McChesney, media critic and professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, many news channels, in their pursuit of objectivity and avoidance of controversy, “came to accept official sources as appropriate generators of legitimate news” and as such, news that brings no profit to the country or if its reporting can jeopardise the government’s political "neutrality" and outlook is deemed unimportant. Their repetitive, seemingly superficial agenda-driven reporting of these issues appears to simply leaf through the details and this can cause readers to get increasingly desensitised and indifferent to the actual gravity of the situation of the people suffering in those places – and these pressing issues are almost never one-dimensional. But the media has expanded in so many ways. News from a multiplicity of perspectives is now available at our fingertips. It is up to us to seek out news sources which we feel are credible to be read and "trusted" – the choices are made available to gather information to discern and gain multiple perspectives in order to fully understand the issue at hand. There are sights we, living in this privileged part of the world today, do not witness in our daily lives. We have been very fortunate to be blessed with wealth and security, and because

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of this, we have never had to struggle for our freedom, rights and survival. This disparity in experiences makes us unable to fully empathise with their plight and suffering. Geographical divides highlight the marked differences in cultures, lifestyle and social landscapes of Muslims around the world – living conditions or the stringency of internal security policies towards Muslims varies – and this makes the various issues plaguing the Muslim communities in other countries seem extraneous to us, making us unable to relate to and fully empathise with our brothers’ and sisters’ situations. We in Singapore probably would not comprehend the anger and frustration of American Muslims being publicly slandered and marginalised by their politicians or the “Islamophobia network”. Similarly, we would not be able to understand the Palestinian hunger strikers who went for months without food to protest against their administrative detention and denial of basic rights, or the suffering of the people of Syria under the present military situation, fuelled no less by their own government. These are convoluted social and political situations, and some might think these issues are simply way bigger than themselves and results in a sense of helplessness.

When calamity strikes our brothers & sisters in another part of the world We need to get ourselves out this circle of ignorance and apathy, and realise that many of these issues, be it concerning politics, warfare or the economy, concern and impact human lives. We need to find that connection with humanity and inculcate in ourselves a sense of morality of right and wrong in witnessing the injustices that is happening in the world around us.

People, just like you and me, do not deserve to go through oppression and suffering, or get killed, for no reason. Awareness for the issues affecting our Muslim brothers and sisters can impact people to different degrees. It makes them want to help in many different ways – doing online campaigns through social media, conduct workshops and talks to raise public consciousness of these crises, organise donation drives for relief efforts, signing up for humanitarian missions and many more. These methods can help others to get out from their own circles of apathy and ignorance. They may look small and insignificant in the bigger picture of solving the ongoing crises, but big changes begin from a small step and Insyallah, our efforts and activism, when coupled with the appropriate intention, will not go to waste. It is true that we alone cannot put an end to a crisis; the least we could do is to ensure these issues do not come to exist within our own communities. For example, within our shores, we can find racially- and religiously-charged abuses being thrown around online – not dissimilar to those our American Muslim brothers and sisters have to face with daily in their mainstream media which directly affect the very fabric of their politics – where we have our own quasi Pamela Gellers and Robert Spencers to deal with; and we need to do so with patience and not turn to inappropriate means to express rage and dissatisfaction so that it will not escalate to aggressive levels. Aside from the physical effort that we put in to spread news and raise awareness, we should

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most importantly make du’a (prayers) for them because, after all, du’a is the most powerful weapon for the believers.

"O you who believe, stand up firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, your parents or your kin, or whether it be against rich or poor, for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort justice to decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do" (An-Nisaa 4:135) In the above verse, we, as Mu’min (believers), are reminded that we are to defend fairness and eradicate all forms of injustices most importantly from within; that we ourselves do not succumb to our own egos and that we do not exercise prejudice, partiality and discrimination based on blood allegiance, wealth and other worldly concerns – these are forms of injustices and tyranny that we inflict

upon ourselves and others repeatedly. Of this, Imam Suhaib Webb said, "We can denounce the occupation of Palestine and Kashmir, but are we oppressors of ourselves through disobeying Allah and in the way we treat people? We can denounce the autocracy of Bashar Assad, but if we are autocrats of our own homes then we are the biggest of hypocrites". At the end of the day, our awareness of what is going on in the world should increase our taqwa (consciousness) towards Allah (swt), empathy and compassion for humanity and our gratitude for everything that He has blessed us with; and this should reflect in the way we live – in not being selfish or extremely self-absorbed in our daily routine that no one else around us matters and to demonstrate empathy towards others – that we are always in constant remembrance of Him, and that we constantly make prayers for those suffering in other parts of the world. Apathy is a disease that we should eliminate from our hearts and our minds in order to be exemplary followers of our beloved Prophet (saw); in doing so, we cleanse our hearts of ignorance, leading to us getting closer to our Lord (swt) and being in constant gratitude and remembrance of Him and everything that He has granted us, Insya Allah. 11

Hafifah Afif is a current affairs, comedy and science junkie; and she is waiting to commence studies in International Relations at Goldsmiths, University of London in 2013. She cites writer Wajahat Ali and physicist Professor Brian Cox as her inspiration.

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Conquering the

EVEREST journey to the top of the world text by nina salina bte suandi

oming from a family of outdoor enthusiasts, it is not surprising that Muhd Hilwan bin Muhd Idrus has developed a love for the outdoors since a tender age. His love for the outdoors has manifested in many forms such as rock climbing and hiking, among others. Despite bagging many accomplishments, from completing 22 days of Technical Mountaineering Course solo at Mount Shitidar in the Indian Himalaya, Kullu Valley, to canyoning in the freezing cold canyons at the Swiss Alps,

What are the preparations for your journey? Mental and physical preparedness are the first 2 things to think about. We prepare physically by training 3 times a week doing staircase climbs 40 storeys for 5 sets with 18kg load. Mental preparedness is achieved by being mentally prepared for the conditions there. To know and to accept that there would not be proper sanitation, that we will be camping out for a full 27days in tents, that we will not get proper food, that temperatures can drop to -20 degree Celsius or below, that bad weather may cause our expedition to fail and that I may not return from the expedition. To know and to accept all these conditions are part of mental preparedness. Being prepared financially is also very important. At the moment I work fulltime in TBWA, an international advertising agency and I diligently set aside a sum of money from my salary to finance my climbs.

hilwan Hilwan’s thirst for challenges is far from being satiated. He is currently preparing for his greatest hurdle thus far- climbing Mount Everest, which would be realized in 2015 together with his team, ‘Team Singapura Everest’. Taking inspiration from Singapore’s early beginnings and his mother, who is his own personal inspiration, Hilwan believes that in the end, it is not merely about conquering the Everest, it is about conquering himself.

To prepare spiritually, I need to let go of everything that I am attached to here in Singapore and go with a peace of mind;

...to seek forgiveness from my parents and to prepare some sort of a will in case I do not come back.

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Were there any challenges that occurred during your mountain trips? I remembered when we had to trek up to Mera Peak (6467m) and we left high camp (6000m) at about 2am and the winds were howling and the temperature was so cold that icicles formed under my nose. We had to trek in that condition for 6 hours to reach the summit. I passed out and fainted less than half way up because of lack of oxygen. There was just not enough air up there and every inch of your body is fighting to absorb any amount of oxygen there is in the air. When I passed out, my team stopped to rest while they tried to wake me up and get me rested. 10 minutes later, we were up and continue walking through 50cm deep snow for the next 3 hours before reaching the summit. Eventually whatever challenges that comes your way, you just have to stop and take a breather before taking one step at a time and punching right through your own limits. You will be climbing the first 2 hours with your body and the remaining 4 hours with your mind. This is just one of our challenges that we had on the mountains.

How do you fulfil your daily obligations as a Muslim on the mountains? As best as I could, I will solat standing up. But if it is too cold, I have to do my solat in my sleeping bag. That is the only way that I can do it without freezing. I will try to take wudhu with water if the water is not too freezing, but if it is,

...then I will do tayammum on rocks or even on the inner walls of my tent. I would say that it was a privilege for me to do my solat in such harsh conditions. It is only then that you would treasure the nikmah of taking wudhu or of solat standing up in a warm room. Being able to do my solat surrounded by all the beautiful creations makes me feel very small and insignificant.

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When I recited surah Al-Imran ayat 190 while I was hiking up the mountains, I felt really humbled as I see all the mountains around me. With regards to food, the guides cooked mostly vegetarian dishes for us and they brought canned halal meat that they bought from Kathmandu town.

What do you hope to achieve by going through this journey? I hope to firstly be a better Muslim, to humble myself and see Allah’s greatness and His magnificent creations. I hope to share these experiences with those who see the outdoors as a platform to bring oneself closer to the Deen. It had been a beautiful journey for me and I hope more people can see what I saw and experience what I have experienced, either through videos or photos. Everyone has their own ‘Everest’ to conquer - an obstacle that they cannot seem to overcome. I never thought that I could do what I did, but I did it anyway. In the end, it is not the mountain that you have conquered, it is yourself.

How does this journey help you to better prepare for subsequent journeys in your life? After the expedition to Nepal and experiencing some near death, some frost bite and other near death experience, I realised that what we are going through here is incomparable with that. Suddenly everything here becomes easy. As long as it does not require me to walk 10 hours in 50 cm snow, and facing -20 celcius temperature, nearly falling off from a cliff, losing a limb due to frost bite, then it is not that bad after all. Team Singapura Everest would like to thank their sponsor Onsight Climbing Gym, http://onsight.com.sg/2012/ for their support and provision of training grounds. They are currently still looking for sponsors to come on-board. 11

Nina Salina is a third year undergraduate, majoring in psychology. Aesthetically inclined, she finds interest in interior and fashion designing. Also an avid traveler, she hopes to travel to Turkey to explore the romantic mix of history and modernity of the state.

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Da'wah To Prisoners CHANGE IS POSSIBLE text by fazliah abdul latiff

ombine an immense detemination and an amazing reliance on God to instigate change in others, and you get a man like Ustaz Rasman Saridin. His ability to turn one of his darkest phases in life into an enlightening story that every person should learn from is very inspiring indeed. He has been in and out of drug rehabilitation centres and prison decades ago. Turning this bitter experience into a series of lessons not just for him, but for others to look up to, is incredibly astounding, but not without its challenges. In prison, reading about Islam changed his life. It was the very thing that awakened him and sparked in him the desire to change. After he left the prison, the first thing that he wanted to do was to seek Islamic knowledge. He wanted to contribute to society and prove to himself and others that with the support of family and the society, people can change for the good. Ustaz Rasman elaborated: “Allah has opened a road filled with positivity for me, not only for me to change myself and increase my knowledge about Islam. In the Qur’an, we have to ‘… do good (to others) as Allah has done good to you, and do not seek to make mischief in the land, surely Allah does not love the mischief-makers.’ (Surah Al-Qasas 28:77)

It is a gift that Allah has given to me and I need to contribute back to society and do good to others. It is an opportunity to repent to Allah for my past sins.”

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Change Must Come From Within “…Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves…” (Surah Ar-Ra’d 13:11) I can give you all the advice there is. You can go to all the lectures there are in the mosques. You can meet all the asatizah (religious teachers) there are out there. But if you do not make the promise to yourself to change, then you will not change.”

difference. There are people out there who have neglected their solah and not doing good deeds. In Islamic context, that person has done wrong. To general audience, there is more emphasis on strengthening the understanding of Aqidah (knowing Islam and the Messengers and understanding Islam) in stages.

Support For Ex-Convicts “Usually, they will come to me on an informal basis. They will call me and we will just talk. I will ask them what is it that you want to plant within yourself? How do you want to change?

Our approach is that we avoid asking questions like ‘why did you commit that?’ What is done is done. Now you are going through rehabilitation and you must look ahead. We advocate the idea that any human being can change. Together, we would explore the opportunities for their future. We try to instil Islamic values to increase their confidence in themselves and in the faith itself. When we communicate, there is no wall between us. They (the ex-convicts) tell us everything and they feel comfortable expressing anything to us.”

Challenges For Ex-Convicts When They Leave Prison “There are those that go in and out of the prison several times. Sometimes, their families would slowly withdraw themselves because they are tired of their situation. Because of the lack of support, many ex-convicts relapse. When they leave the prison, it is difficult for them to get a job. Even when a job is offered to them, it is usually a tough labour job and its salary is not good. Some companies might exploit them. Also, some of them do not even have a place to live to survive.”

The other approach in dealing with the exconvicts is through remembering the concept of INTAN. (Pearl, in Malay, is of a high value and we need to work hard to find it)

Iman: It is fundamental. We have six pillars of Imaan (faith), of which we cannot perceive with our sight but we believe in it through contemplating the Signs of Allah. Niat: All ibadah (worship or action) to Allah has this concept of intentions (niat). This is to increase their confidence and faith in Allah. Taqwa: Imaan and sincere intentions will produce Taqwa. Taqwa would refer to obeying what Allah has commanded and prohibited. It should be based on our individual capabilities. Taqwa needs to be practised; it cannot be inherited. Akhlak: Good character is important. I had to leave a lot of bad habits. I threw my past T-shirts and wore clothes like baju Melayu (Malay traditional clothes). In the past, pubs and night clubs were common hang out places. I switched to a more positive place, like the mosque. Nasihat: Either you give or receive advice (nasihat). It is with experience and responsibility to give advice.”

Da’wah to a varied audience

How long does it take to change?

“Between the general audience and a focused group like ex-convicts, there is little

“It depends. One wrong move and you go back in. There were instances for some whom,

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after 6 years of leaving the prison, they decide to take just one dose of drug. Coincidentally, they were called for a urine test the following day and the test proved positive. This cannot happen. I tell them they must pursue this goal of change until we reach our deathbeds.”

Challenges in running the programme “While experience is of utmost important, one needs to strive to attain a consistent spiritual level. For example, an ex-convict whom we gradually learned to trust, followed our programme. One day, one of our laptops went missing. We investigated the reason behind the theft. It turned out that he owed loan sharks money and there was no way out. I thought to myself, I invested a lot of time in helping this person, but to no avail. How then? Another challenge would be financial challenges to sustain programmes and also difficulties in finding spaces to conduct our programmes. Sometimes our staffs don’t get paid because the donations we receive are used to pay our office rent. But we have to sacrifice. It’s our amanah, responsibility. We have to do it.”

Heavy responsibility “This is one amanah that a person with knowledge and experience needs to perform. In my approach, everything must go back to religion.

I had friends from other faiths, who were ex-convicts, who mentioned how religion is where they go back to, what they hold on to. Religion is their foundation. If one were to leave or be distant from their religion, there is a higher chance of the convict regressing to his addiction. Sahl bin Sa’d relates that once our Prophet (saw), addresses Ali as follows, “If Allah gives guidance to even one person through you it is far better for you than red camels.” [Bukhari and Muslim] (Red camels were highly prized among the Arabs. Thus this hadith means that if your

teaching benefits someone, it is better than all the wealth in the world.) The late Harun Ghani, who was the political secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and played a crucial role in setting up drug rehabilitation facilities during the period when drug abuse problem was seriously rampant, was once asked “What is the point of doing all these? You travel here and there yet the outcome does not reflect well”. He said, ‘If I am able to change just one person, then it is a success already.’”

We encourage that any human being can change. Together, we would explore the opportunities for their future.

Hope for the community “It is the responsibility of the community to do this, not an individual work. Depending on the individual’s capacity to contribute, be it financial, time, energy, experience, knowledge and so on. If we bundle up five sticks and compare with bundling up 200 sticks, it would be more difficult to break the latter. We need to work together!” Ustaz Rasman and his team in Hira Education and Services continues to inspire and to engage not just those whose family members were involved in drugs and crime, but beyond that. Recently, as such programmes were published in the media, this allows community’s awareness of their efforts to heighten thus, being able to garner more support. To find out more about their on-going efforts, visit http://hiraeducation.com.sg/ 11

Fazliah Abdul Latiff, affectionately known as Faz, recently graduated from NTU with an Honours degree in Sociology and is currently involved in the education sector. She aspires to produce a book filled with quirky poems and haikus as well as write children's books.

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COMMENTARY

Don't

e k a tpiety text by mazhyn azamat omenuly

for granted

“... The most honoured of you in the sight of God is he who is most righteous of you, and God has full knowledge and is acquainted with all things” (Surah Al-Hujuraat 49:13)

his is one of the many verses that emphasises the importance of righteousness in Islam. Practicing righteousness is a product of piety we have. On the other hand, practicing righteousness also increases our piety. When we talk about piety, a few questions come to mind: What is righteousness? What should I do to be pious? The answer is very simple – obey Allah’s commands, do good deeds and discourage evil ones; in other words, commitment to Islam.

The importance of piety is akin to the importance of battery for any electronic gadget. My faith becomes ‘darker’ just like the screen of a laptop when the battery is getting low. When one’s faith becomes weaker, one may easily fall prey to Shaitaan’s whisperings and/or demands of the nafs’ (lust/desire), hence falling into the trap of trivialising worship. Hence, the need to be vigilant of one’s own piety and faith is necessary because everyone experiences ups and downs in faith. There are some signs of weakened piety like laziness and skipping worship. For instance, I often catch myself not reading Qur’an for several weeks, and being too lazy to wake up for Subuh prayer.

Noticing these signs is the first crucial part of returning to the straight path. Not noticing these signs, on the other hand, might indicate weakened faith and piety– one then starts giving convenient excuses that condone the wrong acts. If we consider weakened faith as harmful to ourselves, we must review the root of the problem. Much of the problem is rooted to the environment around us. For example, if we listen to music that has a lot of swearing, discrimination, hatred or aggressive lyrics, our mood and beliefs get impaired due to its negative influences. Moreover, for many of us, the greatest influence in our lives comes from our friends.

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The Messenger of Allah (saw) said: ‘A Muslim is a brother to a Muslim: Neither he wrongs him, nor hands him over (to another). And who comes in need of his brother, Allah comes in his need; and who removes a calamity of a Muslim, Allah will remove a calamity from the calamities of the Resurrection Day, and who conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his sins on the Resurrection Day’ [Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]. Friends bond via a common interest and if that common interest is a bad habit or love for something meaningless or impermissible, it would surely weaken our faith. Therefore, our environment’s influence needs to be appropriately sieved. In addition, we must charge our battery called imaan (faith). Charging faith can include reading religious books, increasing worship, watching inspiring videos and so on. The believer needs to consciously keep his desires and laziness in check. It is dangerous to have thoughts like “I’ll skip this prayer just once” or “Let me try this (wrong deed) once” because Shaitaan will continue whispering that to our nafs’, and our nafs’ will keep wanting more. Since humans are habitual in nature, once started, committing wrong deeds can become a habit. One of the easiest ways to maintain level of faith is surrounding oneself with good company. I remember my first few Ramadhans when I stayed in dormitory with my classmates. Waking up for sahur was much easier together. That works for any kind of worship - doing it in groups not only bonds Muslims but also increases piety. Moreover, rewards for worshipping in a jama’ah (group) are increased twenty-seven fold. Therefore it not only keeps our imaan but also helps us make bigger steps towards Allah’s pleasure. To motivate myself to be more righteous, I often compare myself with other Muslims. Looking at other Muslims worshipping makes me think that my worship is not enough.

When I see people reading Qur’an in the prayer room, it encourages me to read it too. There is an old Kazakh proverb:

“When considering piety, compare yourself with the more pious, when considering wealth, compare yourself with the less fortunate” This comparison is a good reminder of how one should not reach a point where one feels that one is already pious. It is dangerous because when one considers himself suffciently pious, he may stop making effort to gain more knowledge to further strengthen his faith. This attitude may lead to riak (arrogance) and cause one’s faith to plateau. Hence, one should strive to be pious but do not consider oneself pious to avoid complacency and insincerity. Piety is the strength of a Muslim. The more pious we are, the less prone we are to being affected by Shaitaan’s whispering, our nafs’ and the negative influences in the environment. We need to endeavour to increase our fear and faith in Allah and never stop making efforts to improve ourselves. Keep evaluating our efforts and never ever be complacent in faith. 11

Mazhyn Azamat Omenuly is a student from Kazakhtan who gets encouragement from his father to start experimenting with writing.

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COMMENTARY

Polygamy A DEBATABLE JOURNEY

text by farina fauzi

he life of a plural wife, she'd found, was a life lived under constant comparison, a life spent wondering. Sitting across from her sister-wives at Sunday dinner, the platters and serving dishes floating past like hovercraft, the questions were almost inescapable; Who of us is the most happy? Which of us is his one true love? Who does he desire the most?” In his novel entitled The Lonely Polygamist, Brady Udall had tried to understand the complexities of the lives of a man, his 4 wives and their 27 children. While he had portrayed the protagonist as a patriarchal figure with a midlife crisis, he had venerated the women in the family. Indeed, his female characters were not always without insecurities of their relationships with the patriarch, but ultimately, Udall had more than hinted at the control that each wife had on her own family. Coming from a polygamous family himself, could he have reflected the truth and wisdom behind polygamy? Islam itself has highlighted the hikmah (wisdom) of polygamy, most of which resulted in the need for Surah An-Nisa' 4:3, sent down after a war with the pagan tribes, which witnessed a tragic loss of men. "And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one or those your right hand possesses. That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice]" (Surah An-Nisa’ 4:3) The permissible act of polygamy was meant to protect orphans and widows, to enable a fatherly figure to provide for them. It was also meant to protect unmarried women from fitnah, from having to resort to haram means to satisfy their emotional needs. It is with these reasons, among others, that

Prophet Muhammad (saw) had married some of his wives, whether she was a poor 80-year-old widow, or that of an enemy commander. But he was not the first prophet to practise polygamy. Daud (as) was known to have many wives, while Sulaiman (as) had sixty [Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 561]. Surely, the fact that His righteous messengers practised polygamy lends some credibility to the act. Besides, having existed for thousands of years, this time-worn practice has served humanity well enough. In 1650 at Nuremberg in Germany, a law was passed allowing a man to have up to 10 wives as a means of combating the huge loss of life sustained during the 30 Years War. In Tanzania, where there are 95.1 males per 100 females, polygamy is a humane solution compared to celibacy or female infanticide. How, then, can cohabitation be favoured over polygamy? A relatively newer concept, one fails to see cohabitation as anything but a way for a man to indulge in pleasures without claiming responsibility for a woman's livelihood. Consequently, social problems arise: unwed woman becomes pregnant, man shirks from responsibility, child born out of wedlock, mother struggles to financially sustain family, mother works too many jobs to properly raise a child or worse, she desperately may resort to prostitution, where she might get involved with a married man, compromising the sanctity and integrity of marriages and families. This is the reality in the United States, where 72% of African American babies are born to unmarried women. What then to make of Hugh Hefner and his cohabitation with a rotation of girls? How is it socially acceptable for him to not only cohabitate, but to cohabitate in a “polygamous” manner? Of course, being the

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celebrated Playboy icon, western society might have willingly overlooked his lifestyle. What they cannot possibly overlook, however, is the hypocrisy of considering polygamy as a taboo, when there are married men who keep mistresses or carry on with closeted extramarital affairs. Aren't they, in a way, practising polygamy? Yet, the man who chooses to be honest in declaring his need for more than 1 woman and is willing to commit to those women; he is scorn by one who keeps multiple mistresses under the cover of a monogamous relationship. It is no surprise, then, that feminists too can be blinded by cohabitation, where a woman is free to choose her responsibilities towards a man. Unlike the liberal call of cohabitation, polygamy, to some, is a backward act, where the man reigns over the entire household, each woman being his possession, his thing to control. Unknown to them, polygamy can actually empower women. Journalist and attorney Elizabeth Joseph, was quoted as such: “If polygamy didn’t exist, the modern American woman would have invented it.” Polygamy provides her the environment and opportunity to be a career woman without sacrificing the upbringing of her children and her relationship with her husband. If she is late from work, she can rest assured that her husband will not be burdened by household chores, and her children need not have to cook for themselves. Instead, another woman in the family will be there to help take care of them.

Indeed, there exists gender equality in polygamy, and Islam has seen to that. A wife even has the right to stipulate that her husband must not marry any other woman as a second wife. Also, it is not just any man that is qualified to commit to a polygamous lifestyle. Financial stability, a sense of fairness, good health – these are just some of the qualities that Islam requires of a man before he takes on more than one wife. Thus it is unfortunate when the Al-Quran is being misconstrued by men whose only reason for polygamy is to satisfy their carnal desires. Practised according to Al-Qur’an and following the example of Prophet Muhammad (saw), polygamy can be a harmonious way to raise a family and an opportunity to forge silaturrahim among a larger group of fellow Muslims. For the brothers, it may be difficult to rise to this challenge with the purest of intentions, but they must always be aware that they will be held accountable for their actions in the Hereafter. As for the sisters, it is not an enviable position to be in, but with the hikmah and barakah (blessing) from alleviating another sister’s burden, InsyaAllah, (with His will), you are that much closer to Jannah (Paradise). 11

Farina Fauzi is a final year Civil Engineering student who highly doubts that she will be entering that particular field in the future. She actually finds polygamy not feasible in Singapore, especially with the rising costs of living here.

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10/16/12 10:07 AM

COMMENTARY

Embracing

Motherhood text by nabila hanim

regnancy and birth are two rites of passages that parents go through on this learning journey called parenthood. I believe parenthood is more so a journey to become better people, and better slaves, of Allah (swt). Pregnancy and birth are not only the beginning of this interesting journey, but also symbols of the sacrifices and what is to come as we carry the amanah as parents. Pregnancy, birth and parenthood have led me to be more mindful and aware of how beautiful Allah (swt) really is, and to appreciate His role as our Lord. Indeed, the trials of these three experiences prove to me that Man faces difficulties in taking care of another human being to learn just how such a perfect lover Allah is - Allah created us, care for us and reward us if we remain righteous in the dunya. How humbling that is; that we have been tasked to go through the throes of raising children so that we learn that we are weak. At the same time, Allah (swt) promises success for us in this dunya if we constantly make du'a and have faith that He will help us if we help ourselves first. Our journey of pregnancy and birth was coloured by endless discussions of birthing decisions, parenting decisions and trying to make head or tail of our impending experiences to be mother and father. Indeed,

as parents-to-be, feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, nervousness and being overwhelmed in general are expected. These are signs that you are thinking of the journey ahead and one of the strongest lessons I learnt is that knowledge is to be sought after. Someone once said that knowledge is the lost pearl of a Muslim and if you were to find it, keep it. Indeed, knowledge helped me become more confident as I made my decisions in where and how to give birth, whether I wanted to breastfeed my child, and what sort of worldview I wanted my child to grow up with. Naturally, as a mother, I did most of the Internet searches, reading of books and trying to be mentally prepared for birth. I appreciated that my husband showed his interest in also wanting to be prepared for parenthood and acquiring parenting skills. Hence, we had a knowledge-sharing system. We both kept reading and sharing resources on pregnancy and parenting, reminding one another to be emotionally and mentally prepared, and to be aware of the roles we have to play throughout the stages of parenting from pregnancy through to birth. Although I had enjoyed an uncomplicated pregnancy and remained more active than I probably should, I had a rough birth. Our baby was overdue by eight days and this was

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supposedly medically controversial. Alas, our baby arrived through a cesarean section, a decision that was made at the very last minute after my waterbag had burst. I had experienced labour for nine hours without my baby ascending and he had also passed meconium. In a sense, while I felt I had lost the 'battle' with medical science, on hindsight it was probably that C-Section which saved his life. Allah (swt) had His plans to protect this baby of mine, all praises be to Him. I was blessed with a strong support network of friends and family members who were very quick to share their experiences and advice. I had been invited into a Breastfeeding Muslim Mothers Support Group by a friend, who also happened to be a breastfeeding counsellor. I was also blessed with books and resources on how to kickstart breastfeeding. On hindsight, I felt that I had been blessed with so much pearls of knowledge that it had helped me be a more confident, new mother.

New mothers, especially, are vulnerable to advice and it is necessary that husbands, sisters and parents give them support. As a community, especially as Muslims, we must be tactful and responsible in facilitating the growth of a child in order to nurture them to become good Muslims. As such, we must support our new mummy and daddy brothers and sisters so that we can constantly provide an organic and strong environment to raise future khalifahs and intellects. I feel that confident parents make confident children, Insya Allah. My husband and I held on to the belief that our traits, bad and good, will eventually be passed on to our child. But we also believed that nurturing a child at a very young age will provide good fundamentals for them. We live in a world which thrives on competition, striving for material excess, and fighting for the wrong things in life. We believe in natural education, an organic atmosphere for learning by exposure to the natural elements, to tap on the young's strong inclination to learn and re-learn and to remember that in working on a holistic developmental approach for our son, we wanted to imbibe the love for Allah (swt), Rasulullah (saw), the Qur'an and the alam in our child.

There is no one manual to bring up a child but we believe that the Qur'an is sufficient for us in helping our child grow. We continue to read parenting books, Islamically-inclined or otherwise, and we learn from other parents whom we feel have done well to bring their young children on the road to providing them with an inspirational and God-conscious early childhood education. I find that it is equally interesting to reflect on your childhood as well and to adapt what you liked and benefited from it, and perhaps alter what you felt may not be ideal for the culture of your own family nucleus. On some rough days with our child, my husband and I remind each other to make lots of du'as that Allah help us and guide us in raising our child, and that He forgives us if we have gone astray or made griveous mistakes while nurturing his growth.

Nurturing a child at a very young age will provide good fundamentals for them

Pregnancy and birth are just the beginning of this learning journey called parenthood. If you remain confident, assured and prepared (physically, mentally and financially), Insya Allah you are on the way to bringing your baby gently and safely into this challenging world. At the end of the day, you will realise that there is so much to learn and do, but never forget that Allah (swt) is the best of teachers. 11

Nabila Hanim is currently teaching English and English Literature to secondary school students. She is also a mother to a 8-month old baby boy who seems to be growing up too quickly. She enjoys sharing her ideas of motherhood to celebrate this beautiful gift by Allah upon her."

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COMMENTARY

10, 847

REDISCOVERING MY PURPOSE

kilometres text by nadia hashim

2009 - So there I was, London Heathrow Airport; tired and afraid, I have just cleared security with leave to stay: six years, my visa said. That is a pretty long time to be 10,000 km away from home, from protection, from support. Having this cloth on my head was still pretty new to me, and has worried me somewhat. Would my Muslim-ness be an issue? Would I make friends? Would I fit in? Would I … survive?

"The believers are nothing else than brothers. So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy." (Surah Al-Hujarat 49:10)

single child brought up by doting parents – the thought of going at it alone, of gaining independence, and becoming my own person; in principle sounded fantastic but in reality felt a lot more like being thrown into the deep end, really, ready to be eaten by sharks. Walking up to campus on the first day to register felt like being back in primary one – my doting Baba in tow, I mustered up the courage to face this Brave New World; a sea of faces, culture and mentality so vastly foreign to me. What would they make of me – an awkward bespectacled new Hijabi; with a weird accent? What am I even doing here? And then a friendly scarfed face sprung up to me: “Hello! Salaam! First year?” and then another, and then another – and before you knew it, I have made friends; Alhamdulillah. This was the crew that stayed in together with me, too scared to face a typical medical Freshers’ Week at the pub where we would never fit in, this was the lot that showed me all the Halal places round London, these are the sisters & brothers whom I remain dear friends with three years later – the kind of friends whose families I know fondly, whose weddings I have attended, to whose children I am now Aunty Nadiah. And again, it took two years for us to find each other, but in my second year, SMSO was born – the Singapore Muslim Students Overseas. A little group of equally lost, equally homesick Singaporean brothers and sisters decided to

get together over some teh tarik, discussing the General Elections. Little did I know, that simple meeting would lead to me having Halaqahs to attend every weekend, or finally having a group of sisters to spend eve of Syawal with, belting out P Ramlee favourites on a cold wintry night, or packing up two SUVs for a seven-hour drive out into the country for a Spring break Usrah road trip: each one of this an outpouring of nothing short of love and Ukhwah, for the sake of Allah (swt). And that made me think -

Subhanallah, how blessed we are that wherever we go in this world, anywhere possible in the vast earth of Allah’s, we are never alone. I belong, automatically, to a greater community that takes me for me, and does not expect of me to bend or change to their whims and customs; a family of different skins and languages bound by the single identity of knowing, loving and serving Allah (swt). To that utmost extent He takes care of us – I was most anxious about my Muslim identity in a country of Western ideals yet it was for that very reason that without fear or favour, I found warmth, I found acceptance and I found love.

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The Prophet (saw) advised to: “Take benefit of five before five: Your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you are preoccupied, and your life before your death.” [Narrated by Ibn Abbas and reported by Al Hakim] Not only did I find pillars of support - within these communities, I found for myself examples and inspiration in people whose manner of leading their lives would change mine forever. From the legendary brother who topped his class every year while studying Medicine yet found time to memorise the entire Qur’an and invite his best friend to accept Islam; or the sister who’s a Physics major, who spends her lunch time teaching Tajweed. Or my fellow Singaporean brothers and sisters here, each and every one of them powerhouses in their own right – who have come this far in pursuit of excellence in all sorts of fields, on all sorts of accolades; yet still found time to think of their communities: from a dear sister who thought it necessary that our experience overseas be shared with the kids from local orphanages back home so they would be inspired to aim for the same one day; or another dear sister who had written up an entire syllabus of Arabic specially for her to teach the group of us; or the team of brothers and sisters who have spent weeks in amidst assignments writing reminders, booking cars, planning activities – just so we would have a nice Spring weekend away together. Masya Allah! These were the kind of people who would make you stop short in your tracks and reflect on yourself – while these guys and girls were setting the standard for the Muslim youths today in their goals and in their characters, striving to become the Khalifah of this generation and the examples for the next; what was I doing? How did my Deen fit into my academic schedule? How was I spending my time? These were no ordinary people – these were people you would meet and then immediately and inevitably try and emulate. These were the sort of people who touched and changed lives.

We are all at university, pottering along doing our own thing trying to find ourselves and figure out some meaning to what we do; it is a happy medium of mundane routine, of being adults but not quite weighed down by responsibility beyond exams and theses - but we are all exactly where we are meant to be, doing what we are meant to do, surrounded by exactly the people we need in our lives. It took 10,847km for me to find my faith again, to wake up and realise my purpose, or just how blessed I was - but that is the greatness and wisdom of Allah: 10,847km away is exactly where I needed to be, exactly where He intended for me to be. We each walk different paths – you do not need to have travelled halfway around the globe to find yourself, or to find what drives you back towards Allah (swt); it is the journey that counts. His signs and His message for us are everywhere, in everything, at every time, every day – it is a matter of us wising up to them, realising them, and fulfilling them. There is a purpose He has set out for you, in every encounter and every experience in life – be that be something as mundane and as simple as waking up for 9am lectures or meeting yet another new person at yet another Muslim Society event; for truly He has Dominion over all things, and is All-Knowing, All-Wise. So insist that your years in university, from now and beyond - stand for something. Insist that they matter and seek with your eyes and with all your might to make meaning and find what Allah had meant for you to discover.

The time we were given to walk this journey is a precious gift from Allah... so live it well, and insist, that you emerge the other side changed for the better Insya Allah, lest the time you spent walking be time spent in vain. 11

So what was all this for? Why was I here again? I left seeking a boring old degree, I am a long way away still; but I have already gained so much more than I have bargained for – I discovered meaning, and was reminded of my purpose.

Nadia Hashim is a 4th year student at Imperial College London. She works happily for the Singapore Muslim Students Overseas and misses home very much.

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ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE

Conquering the

it shows how there will always be room for compassion for others, even in our most dire situations. When the time came for the Prophet (saw) himself to leave his beloved hometown, it was a tale full of courage and selflessness, reflected in the acts of the noble companions Sayyidina Abu Bakar (ra) and Sayyidina Ali (ra) Above all, it was a testament of how Allah's Mercy is always there for those who seek to overcome adversities for Him. “His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, “Be,” and it is.” (Surah Yasin 36:82)

Our Personal Hijrah

LESSON

Every intention starts from niat¸ and that is the key to every personal hijrah we make. While Hijrah can be loosely translated to mean migration, it is not necessarily a physical migration that we need to undertake in our lives. With the intent of self-betterment for the pleasure of Allah, one will let go of his bad habits thus replacing them with good ones, effectively embarking on a migration of the mind, character, values, lifestyle, etc.

FROM THE

HIJRAH

“it is You we worship and You we ask for help” (Surah Al-Fatehah 1:5)

text by ihsan hakim

“Those who believe, and suffer exile and strive with might and main, in Allah’s cause, with their goods and their persons, have the highest rank in the sight of Allah: they are the people who will achieve.” (Surah At-Tawbah 9:20)

Definition

o many, hijrah is defined as the migration of Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his followers from Mecca to Medina – so significant that it was said to have marked the starting point of the Muslim era. Fourteen centuries on, hijrah remains a process that is ever relevant to the everyday lives of each individual of the Prophet’s ummah, without them even realising it, sometimes.

History Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (Surah Ali Imran 3:31)

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It is easy for one to forget about those around them when they become too earnest striving for their own endeavour. In the course of seeking self-betterment, one may be halted by difficulties and fears and may sometimes forget that He is always there for those striving for His cause. Reminders for us ummah, were aplenty in the sirah (history) of Rasulullah’s (saw) hijrah. After more than a decade of public preaching about Islam, Prophet Muhammad’s (saw) opposition intensified greatly. Fearing for the safety of his followers, he made a decision to send some of his adherents to Ethiopia, and seventy of his followers to Medina (back then known as Yathrib). His action shows how concerned he was for his followers by putting their welfare before his. More importantly,

As with all matters in our lives, a Muslim must never for a moment think that he or she walks alone, or that his success and failures are determined by his own actions only. We live our lives by His Grace, hence when it comes to making a hijrah filled with challenges and struggles, it is even more important for one to seek His help constantly. Be as steadfast in seeking His Mercy as we are in our efforts, just like Rasulullah (saw) and his followers in their hijrah, and InsyaAllah one would find His help in ways unexpected. Above all, seeking refuge in Him would mean you will never feel alone in your personal struggle, even in your darkest and otherwise loneliest hours.

In the earnestness and anxiety to depart from a bad habit or trait, one may tend to set unrealistic goals that end up dampening his spirit should he not be able to attain them. Avoid making things unnecessarily more difficult; a hijrah is like a marathon, hence istiqamah is key in ensuring we reach our destination eventually, Insya Allah. Couple our efforts with constant reflections to remind ourselves of our niat, and so that

our progress may hopefully be a motivation to push ourselves further. Finally, do not be afraid to do a 'physical' hijrah to assist you in your personal one. One who spends his leisure time drinking with friends may need to 'migrate' to spending time in mosques with the company of those

Narrated 'Aisha: The Prophet was asked, "What deeds are loved most by Allah?" He said, "The most regular Constant deeds even though they may be few." He added, 'Don't take upon yourselves, except the deeds which are within your ability." [Bukhari]

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ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE

Conquering the

Our Personal Hijrah

LESSON

FROM THE

HIJRAH

“it is You we worship and You we ask for help” (Surah Al-Fatehah 1:5)

text by ihsan hakim

Definition

History Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." (Surah Ali Imran 3:31)

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ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE

who constantly (and very soberly) fill their time with community work and ibadah. A conducive environment with supportive family and friends would help a lot in one's journey to self betterment.

It does not end there... Hijrah, in the most relevant sense of the word, can also be understood as taubah (taubat in Malay). Taubah is to leave behind bad things for a life of virtue, i.e. to ‘turn over a new leaf’. It is another means of migration, that is to change for the betterment through “selfreformation”. When applied on a societal level, it would mean changing the system so that the system is conducive for those who want to lead a more virtuous life, and this is where one who has made a particular hijrah has a role as an agent of change, by being part of the support system that had helped him prior.

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Should everyone not play their role in helping brothers and sisters around them in their respective hijrah, we may not only see the abandonment of virtues and virtuosity, but an abandonment of the society altogether by the rare few seeking a more conducive environment to change oneself. Afterall, a positive change does not come about from finding a comfortable place where one would relax and stop trying. Rather, it involves a search for an environment more favourable for continuous and constructive efforts. 11

Ihsan Hakim is a year two student who is eternally grateful for the people whom He has blessed him with. He believes that when everybody shares, everyone will be bound to benefit.

ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE

Reviving

The

Golden

Ageof

Islam O ften times in our own community, we see disagreements between Muslims that stem from issues of furu’ (branch) of which previous scholars and generations have similarly disagreed upon. The stark difference however lies in the way we deal with these disagreements, which very much lacks the proper adab (etiquette) as exemplified by the people from the Golden Age of Islam.

Some attribute the period of the Moorish Spaniards as the Golden Age of Islam, others to the period of renaissance of Islamic Thought and Civilisation that preceded the European Renaissance.

ADAB AND RESPECT text by AbdusSalam

But the Prophet (saw) himself has defined the ‘golden era’ in the hadith, “The best people are those of my generation, and then those who will come after them, and then those who will come after them, ...”

[Sahih Bukhari]

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ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE

Much of the adab exemplified stems from an emphasis on a character and value system the Prophet (saw) himself nurtured in his companions. Abu Huraira (ra), said, "I heard Abu al-Qasim (the Prophet), say, 'The best among you in Islam are those with the best manners, so long as they develop a sense of understanding.' [Imam Bukhari's ‘Al Adab Al Mufrad’, Hadith no. 285] Let us dive into the Golden Age of Islam to extract lessons for us to apply in our daily lives.

The principal Muslim references are the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His messenger (saw)

The level of adab the companions exhibited can be extracted from the hadith of Jibreel [Imam Nawawi’s ‘Hadith Al Arbain’, Hadith number 2]. Imagine being in the position of the companions sitting around the Prophet (saw). Suddenly, a stranger comes in and sits in front of the Prophet (saw) with such close proximity that his knees are touching the Prophet’s (saw). That act in itself would have caused an urge in the companions to exhibit disagreement for this is the Prophet of Allah (saw). The stranger then proceeds to ask the Prophet (saw) about Islam and answers in reply to the Prophet (saw) to affirm what he had said.

The Prophet (saw) taught the Companions the value of varying interpretations through the incident during the expedition to Banu Qurayzah (a Jewish tribe) where the companions fell into two factions disagreeing between praying ‘Asr (afternoon prayers) on time or praying upon arrival in Qurayzah territory. This incident was to be a reference point for the companions and scholars to base the etiquettes of disagreement, adab ul ikhtilaf (ethics of disagreement). The scholars of the past had profound understanding of the Deen (religion) to recognise which matter is khilafiyah (that which is within the permissible boundaries of differences of opinions) and understood the spirit of the hadith. 'When a judge exercises ijtihad (critical legal thinking in search for answers to new problems) and gives a right judgment, he will have two rewards, but if he errs in his judgment, he will still have earned one reward’ [Sunan Abu Dawud, III, 1013, Hadith no. 3567]. This allowed them to exemplify great respect and adab towards each other within these permissible boundaries. Imam Ahmad bin Hambal (rh) was a wellknown and recognised mujtahid (person who is an authority in exercising ijtihad) and a great scholar but his stature did not change his respect for his teacher Imam As-Syafi’e (rh) although we find various differences in both schools of Islamic jurisprudence. One day, a man came to Imam Ahmad (rh) and conveyed to him “O Abu Abdillah, the hadith in question is not authenticated”. Imam Ahmad (rh) replied “Even if the hadith is not authenticated, it is the opinion of Imam AsSyafi’e (rh). He is one of those with strong and valid opinions.” [‘Adab Ikhtilaf Fil Islam’ by Dr Taha Jabir Al Alwani]

A stranger coming to the Prophet (saw) with a question and affirming his answer? In all likelihood, in their position, we would think to ourselves “who does he think he is?” The stranger then further perplexes the companions by repeating this course of action for the next two questions on Imaan (faith) and Ihsan (excellence). For most of us, at that particular juncture, we would have acted to address the stranger’s disrespect for the Prophet of Allah (saw). Imagine the amount of restraint exhibited by the companions to sit through the whole episode and wait patiently for the stranger to take his leave before seeking clarification. This is the highest level of adab to strive for in times where we are too eager to react to others’ opinions or actions and readily labelling others as deviated or misguided.

Although Imam Ahmad (rh), a respected scholar, could have affirmed the questioner’s claim based on his ijtihad, he recognised that another great scholar, his very teacher, differed on the matter and thus left the matter without imposing his opinion. We also know of the story in which Imam As-Syafi’e (rh) was in the area of Imam Abu Hanifa’s (rh) burial site. While leading the Fajr (dawn) prayers, Imam As-Syafi’e (rh) did not recite the Qunut (specific type of prayer recited) as stipulated in his mazhab (school of Islamic jurisprudence) out of respect for Imam Abu Hanifa (rh), for Imam Abu Hanifa’s (rh) mazhab did not recognise the reading of Qunut during fajr prayers. [‘Al Insaf fi bayan Asbab Al Ikhtilaf’ by Shah Waliullah Dahlawi]

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Some attribute the period of the Moorish Spaniards as the Golden Age of Islam, others to the period of renaissance of Islamic Thought and Civilisation that preceded the European Renaissance

Such actions could easily undermine Imam As-Syafi’e’s (rh) credibility amongst the followers of his school of Jurisprudence but such was the level of respect shown by a great scholar towards another.

In our fervour for knowledge, let us not forget the etiquette in seeking knowledge and to develop an akhlaq (character) as exemplified by our Prophet (saw), his companions and the scholars of the past.

possibility of it being wrong. Others’ opinions, in my opinion, could be wrong, but there is a possibility of it being correct.” Ahmad Zaki Hammad in his book ‘Islam: The Way of Revival’, "Understanding Juristic Differences", mentions four basis upon which one should approach differences of opinions: 1. Whosoever accepts true Tawhid, Allah's (swt) Oneness, expressed in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, is a brother or a sister to every Muslim and must be loved and accorded loyalty and support based on the integrity of that commitment. 2. The principal Muslim references are the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah of His messenger (saw). Their interpretation must be based on the principles of the Arabic Language, without contriving meanings.

3. Blind or absolute loyalty to one person or a particular juristic School is not befitting of any Muslim. The Sharii’ah recognises The first step is to know where we stand. the wisdom of following juristic authorities; What is the level of our knowledge? The basis learn the basis of their judgements and for ikhtilaf (differences) amongst scholars lie approach them with an open mind for in their deep understanding of the Deen and guidance or correction - even if they differ their ability to differentiate between matters with one's own bias or juristic affiliation. of usool (major) and furu’. Do we have knowledge of the boundaries of ikhtilaf? 4. All that has been reported to us from preceding generations (in harmony with If we have ascertained to possess this the Book and Sunnah of the Prophet (saw)) knowledge, then the attitude towards is accepted with awareness of the context differences within the permissible boundaries involved. Insult, accusation, and innuendo should be as exemplified by the scholars of regarding people of the past are beneath the past who used to say, “A matter, according the dignity of a Muslim. to my opinion, could be correct, but there is a (Surah Al-Baqarah 2: 134) 11

AbdusSalam is currently an Undergraduate in NTU. He makes feeble attempts at trying to understand his religion at a deeper level and tries to contribute in small little ways to the community that will hopefully earn him little steps towards the attainment of the pleasure of his Rabb. He feels strongly that individuals need to invest time in understanding the different perspectives each of us hold and that the richness of perspectives can only add wisdom to an individual.

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ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE

Shaping Your

Syahadah text by syed bashiir bin syed abdul kadir

n a hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah (ra), Rasulullah (saw) said “Renew your iman!” And it was asked “How do we renew our iman?” The prophet (saw) replied, “Frequently say La illaha Illalah”. Have you ever felt your iman (faith) thinning or that you are simply too worn out to perform your ibadah (responsibility)? If you do, then renew your faith or iman by saying ‘Ashhadu an la ilaha ill Allah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadar rasul Allah.’ The aforementioned statement known as the syahadah, is the first pillar of Islam. These words spoken when one first embraces Islam are few, but its significance is tremendous. By reciting the syahadah, a person acknowledges Allah (swt) as the only God to be worshipped and Muhammad (saw) as His Messenger. As mentioned in a hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, Rasulullah (saw) said “Whoever witnesses that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger, Allah forbids the Fire from touching him." This is supported by another hadith narrated by Muslim, in which Rasulullah (saw) said, "Whoever dies knowing full well that la-ilaahaillallah - there is no god but Allah, enters Paradise.” One who says the syahadah clearly holds the key to Jannah (Paradise). However just like any other key, there are ridges to it. If we approach Jannah with a key that has ridges that does not correspond with the keyhole, the key cannot turn. We thus need to shape our key of syahadah such that it fits the keyhole of Jannah.

‘Ilm (Knowledge) & Certainty (Yaqeen) Anyone can simply recite the syahadah, but without knowing its meaning and significance,

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then it is nothing more than just an empty phrase. It is akin to knowing a mathematical formula, without understanding its application and significance, thus rendering it useless. How many of us, really contemplate about the meaning of the syahadah when we recite it during our prayer? Has it simply become a routine for us? The syahadah is the testimony of faith of a Muslim, and just like in the civil court, one must know and be certain of what he or she is testifying for. Allah mentions in the Quran:

"And those they invoke besides Him do not possess [power of] intercession; but only those who testify to the truth [can benefit], and they know." (Surah Az-Zukhruf 43: 86) Our syahadah, if shaped with knowledge and certainty, will inevitably remind us of the need to ensure that our actions should always be a mirror of our recitation. With this realisation, an individual is able to set his or her priorities right - being a believer comes before everything else.

The syahadah, which we declare should be shaped with sincerity, acceptance and submission. It is not simply a few words spoken, but should be coupled with the determination to submit and strive towards the path that earns Allah’s pleasure in everything we do. We, Muslims, are taught to strive towards excellence. Rasulullah (saw) mentioned in a hadith narrated by Muslim, “Indeed, Allah has prescribed excellence in everything; so if you kill, then kill well; and if you slaughter, then slaughter well. Let one of you sharpens his knife so his animal feels no pain.” There is nothing wrong in chasing after one’s dream or ambition but most importantly, we should keep ourselves in check and ensure that our chase does not lead us further away from Allah (swt) and prevents us from performing our rightful duties to Him. Allah mentions in the Quran: “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Surah Adz-Dzariyat 51: 56)

Sincerity, Acceptance & Submission Do we sometimes find ourselves being too engrossed studying for our exams or tests and lose track of the prayer times? As students, everything is moving fast and at times we are too busy to the extent that we forget the fact that everything is functioning due to Allah’s will and control. We forget the significance of the syahadah which we declared ultimately accepting Allah (swt) as our God and submitting ourselves to worship no other entities but Him. We also acknowledge that Rasulullah (saw) is the best model for us to follow. The rat race we are in, in this dunya should not deviate us from our conviction.

"Say. Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds” (Surah Al-An’am 6: 162) We are ultimately owned by Allah. In the metaphorical sense, we are just like books. Just like how a book has certain copyright restrictions, we too have our own restrictions - heart, emotions, eyes, hands and ears. Everything that has been given to us - our abilities, our intellect - are all owned by Allah. Let the syahadah be a constant reminder of our dependence on Allah (swt) and the need for us to seek His mercy. Evidently, reciting the syahadah alone is not enough to salvage us from the hell fire. It is but a formless key if we do not shape it correctly. As busy as we may be, let us remember to shape our lives to revolve around the syahadah and Insya Allah, this act will bring us closer to Jannah. Wallahu’alam, He knows better. 11

Syed Bashiir is a second year student from the school of Material

Do we sometimes find ourselves being too engrossed studying?

Science and Engineering who has a love-hate relationship with the subject of Chemistry. Beneath his silent demeanor, he has many ambitions, one of which is to be a Materials Scientist.

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LIFESTYLE

y plunge into a world of debauchery was a past full of regrets and best forgotten. In essence, I picked up smoking at ten (but thankfully disliked it and abandoned cigarettes altogether), got too enchanted by a worldview that saw the Islamic way of life as backward and oppressive and partied with friends with no sense of guilt chugging liquor down my throat. My life was wasted in the wee hours of the morning parading myself before a bunch of strangers and then wandering around Clarke Quay with no sense of direction nor clear conscience. Yet the strangest thing was that although I craved for that instantaneous sensual gratification from drinking, partying and openly socializing with men, I did it with the consciousness that Allah is always watching me. In an act of open defiance against God, I remembered thinking, “To hell with this. I would rather enjoy this momentary pleasure no matter how fleeting it may be, and I will just suffer the consequences later. God will forgive me anyway.” Astarghfirullah hal’azim, even to type that sentence shudders me.

…AND MOVE TOWARDS HIM text by sarah safura

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Maybe you are hoping to read a story about a girl whom overnight, turned to be a good Muslimah. However, this is not that story. My change was a gradual one that took me years to fully accept a complete lifestyle transformation. Joining a certain organization in my varsity years has enabled me to be surrounded by peers who ensured that we are in constant remembrance of Allah. Also, being brought up in an environment that espoused Islamic values and parents who ensured that I had vast Islamic knowledge on Fiqh, Tauhid, Seerah and the likes made it harder for me to completely stray from the path. I was drinking, I was partying, I was even going to second base with guys yet I made it a point not to eat unhalal food, to observe the fasting month and go for Islamic classes. It was torturous leading two completely different lifestyles that eventually led to bouts of depression. I was determined to be a better Muslim although I could not completely abandon my old lifestyle and when I thought things were going good, I slipped and sometimes, go for weeks not performing any prayers. Then, there was an accident and a case when I was almost sexually exploited which got me back on track, but soon after, I found myself going downhill again. It is definitely easy to blame many circumstances in our immediate environment for prompting us to do things we might have otherwise not engaged in. From peers frequenting the hottest nightspots in town, inviting you to indulge in a free-flow of alcoholic drinks to other iniquitous acts that transgress the Islamic articles of faith. Likewise, I would love to blame Shaytan for constantly tempting me to do these vile things. I remembered back when my mom told me something that is:

“If your imaan becomes so weak, you have no one to blame for your weaknesses, not even the Devil. You become so fallible that you don’t need the Devil to convince you to do bad things, you are your own demise.” It got me thinking how to a certain extent, while I have been externally tempted to do these things, if on my part I already lack the personal commitment to change, then I have already lost half the battle.

Various events in our lives may spur us to leave that wrong path for good but we must be aware that that feeling of a high surge of determination cannot be sustained over time without proper planning and goals in order to have a sense of progression.

Here are some practical tips that you can take towards your path of change: 1. Cliche, but surrounding yourself with people who are also striving towards building a better relationship with Allah does help. 2. Stop victimizing yourself and obsessing over how other Muslims are scrutinizing you. You have your own issues with Allah to deal with. 3. Be committed to changing. Whenever you feel the urge to engage in something reprehensible, distract yourself by reading the Qur'an for instance.

When people criticize you for the things you have done, take it as a cue that you need to change. There will always be people who will feel that you are not being a good enough Muslim, but just work towards improving your relationship with Allah and be sincere in asking Him for strength and guidance. Indeed, it is never too late to change. Allah is after all Al-Ghafur, Ar-Rahim and Al-Mu’min. He is the Forgiver and Hider of faults, the All Merciful and the Inspirer of Faith. Do not procrastinate and give the excuse that you are not ready. Remember, external motivation can only last so long. That personal conviction of wanting to change and knowing that you will be accountable for every single action in the Hereafter are paramount on leaving the heinous path for good. "Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower.” (Surah Ali Imran 3:8) 11

Sarah Safura is a self-professed workaholic who loves traveling and meeting people of diverse nationalities. She hopes that people will learn to give others second chances in life, just as many have done for her.

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LIFESTYLE

Closer

One Step

text by nasloon

...TO HIM

“Every religion has a quality characteristic of that religion, and the characteristic of Islam is modesty.” – Ibn Majah

aving been Muslim for 19 years, I have only started practicing Islam for a year. Wearing the hijab was going to be a huge step for me. After much deliberation, I felt ready and decided that January 1st 2010 was when I would start this journey. But Allah (swt) had other plans for me.

“... Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us).” (Surah Aali-Imran: 3: 173)

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I went to school the next day, wanting to mention it to a very good friend of mine, who has alread donned the hijab. When I told her my decision, she simply asked me,

“Since you have already decided, why not just wear it tomorrow? You never know if Allah will take your life by then. Better do it before Shaytan changes your mind.” That night I recalled trying on dozens of scarves with anxiety-laden thoughts in mind. By morning, I was sure I was making a huge mistake. Nevertheless, I emerged out from my room, fully covered and thoroughly embarrassed. My dad got shy. My mom cried and she simply said, “One step closer to Him, Insya Allah”. September 26th 2009 was the first day I wore my scarf. One step closer... Even now, that phrase always brings me back to my first day. The hijab is an identity. Being given the greatest gift of faith in this world, wearing a hijab and letting the world know that you have been given this gift is a great deal to me. An incident while travelling by metro in France enlightened me on the hijab’s protection. I was the stereotypical tourist in the French metro, with my huge purse and camera. Towards the end of my journey, a seedy-looking man boarded the train and he just stared at my camera. Suddenly, he did the weirdest thing he smiled, looked away, picked a pocket and walked away. Why did he not try his tricks with me? I was the easiest target there. Then it

hit me: it was my hijab. The hijab is our biggest form of protection - physically and spiritually. I knew it and I felt it. The hijab is a constant reminder. Being human, we commit mistakes all the time and need timely reminders. For me, I wear my reminder the reminder to control my nafs’, the reminder to make correct decisions in this life and the reminder that I am a Muslimah every single moment I wear it. “And say to the believing women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their beauty except what is apparent of it, and to extend their head coverings to cover their bosoms, and not to display their beauty except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband’s fathers, or their sons, or their husband’s sons, or their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to Allah together, O you believers, in order that you are successful.” (Surah An-Nur 24: 31) The hijab is one of the easiest way a Muslim woman can do da’wah. Often, it leads to us talking about Islam. When I went to Bulgaria last year, the local students asked questions such as whether I showered with the hijab or if I was forced into it. To them, the concept of wearing the hijab on my own accord for my Creator’s pleasure was interesting but difficult to comprehend. Living in a society where less is more, being completely covered even when it was unbearably hot was something that gained their respect and also an inkling of interest in this religion which they knew so little about.

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LIFESTYLE

The hijab symbolizes respect for womenfolk and their bodies. Men, be it Muslims or not, do not touch you unnecessarily and they respect you. When you are strong enough to show the love for your religion, it also gains respect for the religion itself. In a society where there is little left for imagination and empowerment means wearing close to nothing, I choose to cover myself. When Merve Kavaci was criticised for donning the hijab, she decided she was going to stand up for her rights. She made a powerful statement:

“You only see what I allow you to see. Isn’t that empowerment in its purest form?” Here is a little advice for my dear sisters who intend to don the hijab but are waiting for a sign or a particular day - Shaykh Riad Ouarzazi, a well-known speaker, has said

that the highest degree of awakening is the remorse for the wasted moments. Your life before the hijab would indeed seem like wasted moments. When this journey begins, it is like no other. In this little time we have in the dunya, shouldn’t we all be calling others to the goodness that is modesty? Being a worthy Muslimah is not measured by the size of our waist or how many men value your beauty. Instead, we have the higher scale of righteousness and piety. So to my sisters who will be donning the hijab in future, I wish you all the best. And to my fellow sisters who have already donned the hijab, Alhamdulillah, one step closer. 11

Nasloon is a biomedical engineering graduate currently pursuing a postdoctoral degree in Scotland. she is pursuing her dreams of finding a cure for cancer and supports world peace. She loves her parents very much.

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NTUMS ELEVEN Magazine - INSIDE COVER DIMENSIONS: A3 SIZE (420 X 297MM)

ISSUE No. 4 | Oct – Dec 2012

NTUMS ELEVEN Magazine - OUTSIDE COVER DIMENSIONS: A3 SIZE (420 X 297MM)

Kunn